Politics - Active or Apathetic?

Orion said:

I go through periods of apathy... it's mostly a defense mechanism. You can't really be tuned into politics all the time without it starting to alter your mood. At some point you have to let go and just focus on other things. Sometimes deciding to not care is the best medicine, but I wouldn't make it a long-term prescription.

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You either care or you don't. You can't stoke up interest if it isn't there.

Sometimes posts spur my response, sometimes they don't, and there's nothing I can do about it.

ricksfolly

I tend not to respond to the most hackish elements here, but the problem is that there are other people who do and not responding makes them think they are winning the argument when really its just too exhausting to try to explain things to stupid people.

Barbbtx said:

I was always apathetic about politics until the attack on 9/11. Then I was interested, but never as engaged as I've been the last couple of years.
More people than ever seem to be getting engaged.
So what's wrong with you girl???
Just joking....
No, seriously..,
SNAP OUT OF IT!

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I'm tryin'.

I've always been very interested in the entire process. The only message boards I'd join were political in nature and that's all I'd talk about. Now... this is the only poli board I'm a member of (actively, that is) and I could take or leave the political discussions. It just seems as though it's the same arguments, it just involves different people. I can only talk about abortion so many different ways.. the arguments are always the same (that's just an example).

phattonez said:

This site will do things to you. It's so easy to get riled up when your opinions are so strong and there is so little that you can actually do to change things.

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I have a feeling it's all political sites. I know a few times I've gotten into heated arguments and actually got very pissy... and I knew I needed to take a break. It just gets maddening arguing the same point and a person might as well argue with a chair.

I think it may make a difference if people would acknowledge a good point when it's made, but that very rarely happens... at any political site.

Korimyr the Rat said:

I care about political issues and I'm very passionate about arguing them, but I am finding myself less and less interested in the actual political process. Just seems like a waste of time and energy, since the same people will get elected and re-elected no matter what I do about it, and there's nothing anyone can do to keep them from driving this country into the ground. I talk about trying to survive and trying to rebuild afterwards, but really I'm just here so I can laugh and tell everyone I told them so while we're watching it all burn.

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I know what you're saying, Korimyr. I feel the same way at different times. I do always go to vote, but as far as being really involved in the process like I used to be... I just don't have the inclination.

MaggieD said:

Wow. I'm so surprised at the responses.

I hope every single poster will vote. The very least one can do is that. Ya' know how they say people should vote with their feet? If they don't like something, leave? Well, my latest philosophy is a rather resigned position that Congress stinks. The whole lot of them. So I'm going to vote that way. I'm going to vote against every single encumbant on the ticket.

Will it make a difference? Well, not just if Maggie does it. But if Congress suddenly 'got the message' that Americans were no longer going to tolerate business-as-usual, things would change. The way for Congress to get the message is to have larger and larger numbers of votes against encumbants.

I see that as the only thing I can do that just might make a difference.

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I know what you're saying Maggie; but I'm not really talking about taking a part in the process, it's just that you feel like it just doesn't matter. You stay relatively informed and on top of things...but it's not at all interesting and intriguing as it used to be. Now it seems like a pointless process and it's hard to see the glass as half full.

Know what I mean?

StandUpChuck said:

I didn't stop caring about politics, I stopped talking about it. I can't seem to muster the energy.

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Exactly.


Thanks everyone for participating. I am still holding out hope that I just have a change of heart in the next coming weeks and come back around.

Even if I would not be able to keep up with developments, I would always study politics and political history.

Lately my interest in politics has been off a bit, but that’s not unusual for the summer months (too many fish need to be caught). I’ll probably turn the hack meter up a notch or three with the upcoming mid terms though.

Of course with the local winger hacks its balls to the wall whenever I can yank their chain. :2wave:

megaprogman said:

I tend not to respond to the most hackish elements here, but the problem is that there are other people who do and not responding makes them think they are winning the argument when really its just too exhausting to try to explain things to stupid people.

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You're right, but no matter how you express your frustration it will only fall on deaf ears. You at least got it off your chest so that's a big plus.

ricksfolly

Korimyr the Rat said:

I care about political issues and I'm very passionate about arguing them, but I am finding myself less and less interested in the actual political process. Just seems like a waste of time and energy, since the same people will get elected and re-elected no matter what I do about it, and there's nothing anyone can do to keep them from driving this country into the ground. I talk about trying to survive and trying to rebuild afterwards, but really I'm just here so I can laugh and tell everyone I told them so while we're watching it all burn.

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Are you reading my mind, Sir? :mrgreen:

peepnklown said:

Are you reading my mind, Sir? :mrgreen:

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If I was, wouldn't I be bound by convention to deny it? :kitty:

Korimyr the Rat said:

I care about political issues and I'm very passionate about arguing them, but I am finding myself less and less interested in the actual political process. Just seems like a waste of time and energy, since the same people will get elected and re-elected no matter what I do about it, and there's nothing anyone can do to keep them from driving this country into the ground. I talk about trying to survive and trying to rebuild afterwards, but really I'm just here so I can laugh and tell everyone I told them so while we're watching it all burn.

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Get the Collected Works of Jules Feiffer from Amazon. You're two of a kind...

ricksfolly

Ive been following politics since college but Im also very cynical about it. Meaning 98% of politicians I listen as full of **** in my mind until they actually practice what they preach.

The problem (as I see it) is, in most cases politics rewards lying your ass off and being corrupt as hell, and punishes the opposite.

Until the basic political system is changed somehow, we'll keep getting these terrible choices running for and getting elected to office